Automatic suction by-pass for pumps.



I. GOWLES. AUTOMATIC SUCTION BY-PASS FOR PUMPS. APPLIOATION FILED APE.18, 1910. 995,952, Patented June 13,1911. ,2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: 4

I. OOWLES. AUTOMATIC SUCTION BY-PASS FOR. PUMPS. APPLICATION rum) Amma, 1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

INVENTDR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVING OOWLES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN- MEN TS, T0 COWLES-MAODOWELL ENGINEERING PORATION OF ILLINOIS.

(10., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1911.

Application filed April 18, 1910. Serial No. 556,146.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, IRVING COWLES, cit zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Suction By- Passes for Pumps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a novel construction in, what I term, a suction by-pass for pumps, the object being to prov de automatically controlled means for maintaining an automatic fire or other pressure mamtaining pump in operation after the pressure in the system or reservoir fed by the pump has been attained and the latter accordingly ceases to feed the system, and consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawmgs illustrating this invention: Figure 1- is a view in side elevation of a pump and its discharge and suction pipes equipped in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan section of an enlarged scale showing the connection between the valve controlling the by-pass and the vane disposed in the discharge pipe. Fig. 3- is a plan section showing the vane in the casing interposed in the discharge pipe and the spring connection. for moving said vane against the action of the flow through said pipe. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation showing another manner of carrying out of the invention.

Certain classes of" pumps," such for exampleas automatic fire pumps which feed a fire extinguishing pipe system in a building or feed a reservoir for water for said plpes, are automatically controlled by valves controlling the steam supply to the same which are actuated or controlled by hydrostatic pressure in the system ,fed bysuch pump. The intermittent operations of the pump to maintain pressure and the fact that the steam supply is constant as far as the valve, causes condensation of steam in the plpes and in the steam cylinders of the pump, the lattercoolmg off between the in 'tervals of gperation and upon openin of the valve a er a peroid of idleness 0 ;he

vfeeding the system and pump, the said cylinders receive a supply primarily of water of condensation which interferes with the proper exhaust of steam from said cylinder. Furthermore, when such pumps are set into operation the full head of steam is usually admitted thus causing the pump to start with a sudden jerk and generally to pound in a manner which is very' detrimental thereto and causes a great deal of wear and tear.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby when the desired water pressure or level has been attained in the part fed by the pump, automatically in operation to an extent sufficient to maintain the steam cylinderhot and to prevent the accumulation of water of condensation and thus obviate the sudden pounding of the pump due to relief of pres- ;ure or reduction of water level in the part The present invention is similar to that disclosed in a companion application Serial N 0. 556,148 filed of even date herewith and in which the object sought to be attained differs from the object hereof.

To this end my invention consists in providin a by-pass pipe connecting the suction and ischarge pass pipe being controlled by a' valve and maintained closed so long as the pump is which is automatically opened as soon as the feed to the system ceases by reason of the attainment of the requisite pressure or water level in the same.

The invention may be carried out in several ways two of which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In one case the valve in the bypass i e is shown as being mechanically controll and in the other as fluid pressure controlled, each form being intended merely as exemplary of a suitable embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings the pump cylinder 1 takes water through the suction pipe 2 which is equipped preferably with a foot valve 3. The water is discharged from said cylinder 1 through the pipe 4-. leading to the sprinkler system or other reservoir or tank to be fed and in which a given pressure or level is to be maintained. Interposed in said pipe 4 is a substantially rectangular casing 5 pr ferably bulged at one side, as at 6, and

the latter is maintained pipes of the pump, said by- V movable in said slot 26 equipped in its upper wall with an opening bordered by a flange 7 externally threaded to receive the gland 8 by means of which packing is confined around the shaft 9 passing through said opening and into a recess in the lower wall of-said casing. Said shaft 9 passes preferably through one end of the bulged portion 6 of sa1d casing and carries the vane 10 rigidly secured thereto within said casing. On its rojecting end said shaft 9 is equipped with an arm 11 rigid therewith which at its free end carries a rotatable member 12 having an opening through which the threaded rod 13 passes loosely, the latter being adapted to receive a nut 14 bearing against said member 12 to limit the movement of said rod 13 relatively thereto in one direction. Said rod is provided at one end with a hook 15 to which a tension spring 16 is secured at one end, the other end of the latter being secured to a projection 17 on said casing 5. Said spring 16 serves to normally maintain the vane 10 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 A small by-pass pipe 18 connects the suction pipe 2 between its ends with said discharge pipe 4, a valve 19 of any suitable pattern being interposed in said pipe 18 and controlling the same. In the instance illustrated', said valve is of the pattern commonly known as the globe and is equipped with anarm 20 to the free end of which a lever 21 is pivotally secured at one of its ends. Said lever 21 is provided between its ends with a longitudinal slot 22 in which a pin 23 on the stem 24 of said valve 19 is received. At its other end said lever 21 is equipped with a pin 25 which enters he longitudinal slot 26 in a link 27 connectin said lever 21 with an arm 28 on said sha t 29. Longitudinally is a plunger 29 norengagement with said mally maintained in the spiral compression pin 25 by means of spring 30 operatively engaging the same.

Said plunger and spring serve to enable the said .link 27 to move longitudinally relatively to the pin 25 of said lever 21 in the direction of closure of the valve so that the vane 10 may be turned to one limit of its movement by the impingement of the water flowing through the pipe 4 against the same and said valve be maintained closed during such movement. It is desirable that said valve 19 shall open only as said vane approaches the posltion shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and as it reaches the said position the end wall of the slot 26 in said link 27 engages said pin 25 thereby turning said lever 21 in the direction of opening of the valve 19 and maintains the latter open so long as said vane 10 retains said position. The hydrostatic pressure in the system, which said pump is set to automatically maintain, controls the steam supply to the pump by means of the fluid pressure actuated valve 31 in the steam supply pipe 32, the former being connected with the discharge pipe 4 by means of thesmall pipe 33. The pressure in the system is relieved by the opening valve 19 to a very slight deg1 e% suificient to maintain a very limited flow o steam to the steam cylinder of the pump which is thereby maintained very slowly moving taking the water from the suction pipe 2 through the by-pass pipe 18 from the discharge pipe 4 and returning the same to the latter. As soon, however, as the water pressure in the system, reservoir or tank has decreased to an extent suflicient to further open the valve controlling the steam supply the speed of the pump will obviously increase to. a point where the flow through the pipe 18 could not supply a requisite volume of water, and therefore, said pump would take water through the foot valve 3 and by reason of the increased volume passing through the pipe 4 the flow in the latter would actuatethe vane 10, immediately turning the same through an arc suflicient to cause the valve 19 to close.

My invention may also be successfully carried out in the manner shown in Fig. 4 in which the by-pass pipe 34 is controlled by the valve 35which is controlled by hydrostatic or fluid pressure communicated thereto through the pipe 36 connected with the part fed by the pump. The said valve is normally closed and is opened by fluid pressure when the latter attains a given point, preferably that (or a trifle below) at which the valve 31 controlling the steam supply pipe 32 closes. Hence, when the desired pressure in the part or system supplied by the pump is attained the opening of the valve 35 slightly relieves the same and maintains said valve 31 slightly open so that'the pump is maintained in operation.

In some instances pumps are devoid of governors and consequently will stop as soon as the counter pressure of the delivered water on the pump piston equals the steam pressure on the piston. The absence of the governor maintains a full head of steam in the cylinder and causes even greater wear and tear on the starting of the pump after a period of idleness than where the overnor is used. In such instances the elivered water itself acting directly on the pump piston constitutes the governing medium. The action of the by-pass pipe would in such cases also relieve the wear and tear on the pump by keeping same in operation in the same manner but without exerting any control over the steam sup ly; Thus, the omission of the valves 31 an the connections between the same and the delivery end of the pump exerts no influence on the results attained by the by-pass pipe. It is, of course, preferable from a mechanical standpoint to regulate the steam supply to the stituting the equivalent of any suitable de-s vice controlling the connection between the motor and its source of power.

The invention is also applicable to air compressors, or pumps for delivering fluid of any nature into a supply system in which a relatively constant pressure is to be maintained. The pump being maintained constantly in operation admits of no unnoticeable accident thereto or corrosion therein which in time of need may interfere with its efliciency and thus defeat its purpose.

The invention is very simple and eflicient.

I claim as my invention:

v 1. The combination with a pump, fluid receiving means supplied thereby, and devices controlled by the fluid in said means controlling the power actuating said pump, of a by-pass pipe connecting the suction and discharge ends of said pump, a valve therein, a spring maintaining said valve normally open, and a member disposed in the path of fluid delivered from said pump operatively connected with said valve and adapted to be actuated by the flow of fluid delivered by said pump to close said valve against the action of said spring.

2. The combination with a ump, fluid receiving means supplied there y, and devices controlled by the fluid in said means controlling the power actuating said pump, of

a by-pass pipe connecting the suction and discharge ends of said pump, a valve therein, a spring maintaining said valve normally open, and a vane pivotally. mounted in the path of fluid delivered from said pump and adapted to be turned on its pivot by impingement of fluid upon one slde thereof, and connection between said vane and said valve whereby the latter is closed against the action of said spring when said Vang is turned on its pivot by the delivered flui .3. The combination with a pump, a receptacle for fluid fed thereby, and means actuated by the pressure of the delivered fluid controlling the power actuating said pump, of aby-pass pipe connecting the suction and discharge ends of said pump, a

valve therein, a vane pivotally mounted in the discharge pipe of said pump, connection between the same and said valve, and a spring operatively connected with said valve and said vane for maintaining the former normally open and the latter normally disposed in the path of the deliveredfluid, said vane being adapted to be actuated against the action of said spring to close said valve by impingement of delivered fluid against said vane.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IRVING COWLES.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. LOTZ, M. M. BOYLE. 

